


Saltwater Heart

by ForeverNever



Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston RPF
Genre: Actually he turns into one when he goes in the water, F/M, I Should Stop Tagging, MERMAN!, Tom is a merman, he's also stupidly cute, lol, srsly though, still has a merman dick though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:18:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverNever/pseuds/ForeverNever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom is at his uncle's party, which he got roped into helping set up while he's home from Uni, but manages to escape to the pool for some much needed relaxation. He doesn't dare let anyone see him swim, but when he's least expecting it a woman shows up by the side of the pool. He really should run, or something, but...she's really just so, so beautiful. </p>
<p>Merman!Tom AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saltwater Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! :D Nothing really to say here, except I hope you enjoy it. I like merman AUs, so I wrote you one. Take it with my love!

Tom had a secret. A big, big secret. 

He told some people, of course—his family knew, and had always known, since his mother and sisters were the same way, but it was a bigger problem when it came to friends. There were select few people Tom could even consider explaining his ‘condition’ to, and even fewer of them actually got told. Thankfully Tom was good at reading people, or else he could have been in a lot of trouble. 

Still, as he sank into the small pool behind his uncle’s lovely, grand estate, sheltered from prying eyes by the distance and foliage, he sighed as he felt his legs begin to change. It was always so cathartic to go swimming, like sliding into a new skin, a new identity that was comfortable with the sinuous, powerful muscle that his legs melded together to create. His tail didn’t have scales, rather it was smooth and slippery, and tapered down to gauzy fins that he had always thought looked like a beta’s. He had always loved betas. 

He remembered when he was a child, being so confused as to why other children couldn’t see him this way. He had always had to opt out of summer pool parties, his parents claiming a rare allergy to chlorine. Eventually he just stopped getting invitations. People still invited him to ice-cream socials, and birthday parties, and to the zoo and aquarium, but it had always struck him as funny that he—who was almost certainly a better swimmer than anyone else, sans his family—had to stay away from the water so frequently. Even now, nearly out of Uni, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the necessary absurdity of it. 

The cool embrace of the dark pool, long and thin and surrounded by dense thickets of ferns and flowers, immediately soothed away all of Tom’s tension. As his bones became cartilage, his muscles transforming and his long, lean legs turning into a long, lean tail, he thanked all his stars that he was so blessed. The transition wasn’t painful—far from it, in fact. It felt natural, just as natural as walking, as both land and sea were a part of him indelibly, and that made his heart sing. 

He just swam lazily about in the pool, knowing that even though people were arriving to his uncle’s party he was safe from any passers-by. Not only could no one see the pool from the house, it was such a long walk that it was highly unlikely anyone would make it this far out. Besides, the back exits to the massive house were all very carefully locked. No one would bother him out here. 

He enjoyed the cool slide of the water around him as he gently moved through it. He had no particular preference between land and water, honestly, but after hours of helping his uncle set everything up and an entire week spent at the hands of his family he needed a little taste of the ocean again. It was always good to be home, but sometimes having his whole family around could be a little cloying. He loved them, of course he did, but he was turning into his own man and he was ready to be more independent. 

He didn’t know how long he spent swimming at his leisure, letting the smooth of the water against his skin soothe his thoughts away until he was a blessedly blank slate. That was one thing he always loved about swimming; if he really wanted to, he could just forget everything. 

He resurfaced to breathe, perfectly content, when he heard a loud gasp. Suddenly his peace shattered as he remembered; he hadn’t locked the sunroom door behind him. He spun his head around, reflexively sinking his exposed shoulders lower into the water, until he saw her. A young woman, about his age, in a lovely yellow and white dress, sitting beside the pool. Her shoes were off and her purse was set down, meaning she had probably been sitting there for a few minutes at least. He hardly had time to do anything but panic before she laughed, relieved. 

“Jesus Christ, man!” she said. “I didn’t know you were in there. Wait, I’ve been out here for ten minutes at least. How did you hold your breath that long?”

“Oh, I, uh, had a snorkel, but I dropped it,” Tom said quickly, realizing that she couldn’t see his tail in the near-black water. “I’ve mostly been way at the other end, which is probably why you couldn’t see it. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” she said, dismissing the thought. Of course she believed him. What was her other option? “If you’re skinny dipping or something, I can leave. Just say the word.”

“Oh, no, it’s—it’s okay,” Tom heard himself saying. He immediately berated himself—what was he supposed to do, just stay in the water until she decided to leave? That was definitely a bad idea! But the words were already leaving his mouth. She was just so beautiful. “I’ve got swim trunks on. They’re pretty embarrassing though, so don’t expect me to get out.” 

The lady laughed. Oh that laugh! It was the tinkle of water against river rocks and Tom loved it. “Alright, Mr. Embarrassing Trunks, I’ll stay over here and you’ll stay in the water and it’ll all be fine.” Tom smiled, relieved. 

“Tom,” he supplied. “My name is Tom.”

“Tom?” the lady asked. “As in Murphy’s nephew Tom? He was just talking about how you helped put up all the decorations. It looks lovely.”

“Oh, thank you,” Tom said, finding himself blush just a little. “And, uh, what’s your name?”

“Oh, gosh! I’m Chel,” she said. “Short for Michelle, but if you ever call me that I’ll break your face.” They both chuckled. “How cold is the water? I was thinking of putting my feet in.”

“It’s a little chilly,” Tom said, “but it’s nice.” Honestly it felt perfect to him, but it probably wouldn’t feel the same for Chel. Chel moved to put her feet into the water, and Tom dared to creep a little closer. He just wanted to look at her. He really liked her short, dark-brown hair, and her peach-like skin. She looked like she would be on the short side when she stood, but she was beautifully curvy, which her knee-length dress accented perfectly. And when she looked up at him, her brilliant grey-green eyes stunned him into a standstill. She was absolutely perfect. 

She must have noticed him staring, because she looked away quickly. Tom’s heart sunk a little—he hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable. He didn’t want her to be uncomfortable with him. “So how do you know my uncle?” Tom asked, trying to return to an easier topic for her sake. 

“Oh, I don’t, actually,” Chel said. “My friend Kelsey knows his son.”

“Was it one of those ‘Help me Chel I want to see this guy I think is cute but I don’t want to go alone, even though I’ll abandon you for the cute guy five minutes into the party’ moves?” Tom asked sympathetically. 

“I see you know the feeling,” Chel said. 

“All too well,” Tom sighed dramatically. 

They talked and talked, and Tom crept closer to the alluring woman. She was a student as well, it turned out, studying to be a counselor. She said she wanted to help people when they had no one else to turn to, and Tom’s heart turned to mush. The longer he spent with her, the longer he wanted to spend. He wanted to get out of the water and kiss her; he wanted to sit down with her and talk about every aspect of their lives. But he was confined to the pool as long as she was there, and he really disliked that. 

The wind cut through the trees, making Chel shiver and Tom dip further into the water to avoid the cold. “We really should be getting inside,” Chel said. “The party’s probably ended, and poor Ray will be looking for me.”

“Either that or she’s macking up,” Tom joked. Chel smiled. 

“Really though, it’s getting late, and cold. Let’s head in. I’d like to talk to you some more,” Chel said. Tom panicked. He couldn’t get out of the water, but he didn’t want to end this here. He thought fast. 

“Um, I—I can’t,” he said sheepishly. “Remember when I told you I was wearing swim trunks? I, uh, kind of lied. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

Chel laughed, but even in the darkness Tom could see her blush just a little. Was she thinking about him naked? “It’s alright,” she said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “It does explain why you haven’t come out in all this time.”

“You should head in,” Tom suggested. “I’ve got my clothes around here somewhere, I can follow you when I’m dressed. I would really like to continue this conversation,” he admitted. Now Chel was definitely blushing. 

“Sure, absolutely,” she said, standing up. He thought it was endearing how she stood in just such a way as to not let him see up her skirt. She had already proven she just wasn’t that kind of girl. Still, Tom took a good look when she bent over to get her shoes. Oh, she was shapely. “I’ll meet you inside then?”

“I’ll only be a moment,” Tom promised. She smiled at him and walked off, into the tall, dense leaves. He waited until the rustling of foliage stopped, indicating she had gone, and then waited a few more moments. Looking around just to make sure there wasn’t anyone else, but not wanting to dally too long (he had a beautiful woman to meet, after all), he finally heaved himself out of the water. He sat on what would be his rump and dragged the ends of his fins out of the water, allowing the change to take place—except that isn’t what happened. 

He heard something drop just as the skin of his tail was starting to turn from blue to his normal ruddy tone, and immediately jumped back into the water. He winced a little—it was less than comfortable to reverse a change in the middle, despite how seamless it all felt the rest of the time—but that was the least of his problems. That would have just sounded like an animal scurrying around, if it hadn’t been for the feminine gasp that had accompanied the drop.

Tom’s mind went into overdrive as he sunk his shoulders below the water. Really, he knew it wouldn’t do any good. What had she come back for? Did she leave something? Whatever the case was, he knew she couldn’t have mistaken his lower body for anything other than it was. The bushes were eerily still; he didn’t hear her running away. Was she hiding, petrified of him? The thought brought tears to his eyes. He’d only known her for a few hours and already the idea of her frightened of what he was hurt him. 

“…Chel?” he asked carefully. “Chel, I know you’re still there. Please, please come out, I—I can explain. I won’t hurt you.”

Slowly Chel emerged from behind a large fern. It wouldn’t have hidden Tom, but since Chel was so much shorter it had been the perfect hiding place. The shock, the confusion on her face was clear—and so was the fright. 

“Chel, I… I didn’t want you to see that,” Tom said lamely. “Look, I know it’s really weird, but I swear I’m not a monster, you can come closer.” Chel stayed where she was.

She was fidgeting with her hands, but her eyes were trained on him, trying to take a second look, but the water was too dark. He supposed she must have been second guessing herself. Surely this boy didn’t have a tail?

“What did you drop?” Tom asked, searching for anything to say. Whenever he’d brought this up before, it had always been on his own terms. Now, in this accidental setting, he was floundering. 

“My purse,” Chel said, her voice preoccupied. “I’ll get it later.”

There was a moment of tense silence, where neither knew what to say to the other. Tom tried to look into Chel’s beautiful eyes, convince her with his expression that it was okay, but she wasn’t looking at him really, just at the water that hid him. 

“Chel,” Tom sighed, running a wet hand through his hair. “Chel, I…you know what you saw. I won’t try to lie to you. I just…this isn’t something I normally tell people, and I didn’t want to scare you away, you’re so brilliant—“ He had to stop. His throat was closing up. He forced down the lump, then said, “If you don’t want to ever see me again that’s okay. Just please, please don’t hate me.” 

He couldn’t look at her. Now the inky blackness of the water held his gaze too, but Chel had turned her eyes to him. He could almost feel her assessing him, the way a scared animal would a supposed threat, but he didn’t dare say anything else. He didn’t think he could. It wasn’t until he heard her footsteps in the grass that he looked up, teary eyed. Except she wasn’t leaving. She was walking towards him. 

She gingerly sat back on the grass, letting her feet dip into the water again. She never took her eyes off him, and he knew it wouldn’t take much to spook her away for good. He stayed where he was. “I stayed,” she said, and for a second Tom thought she was telling him she wouldn’t leave, but he realized quickly that she meant before. “I know I shouldn’t have, and I apologize, but I think…I think you’re really attractive, and I wanted to see…” she trailed off. “Look, I’m really sorry, I know it was inappropriate of me, but…what are you?”

“I’m a person,” Tom said, unconsciously swimming forward just a little. “Really and honestly, I don’t think of myself any differently than you think of yourself. I’m just a guy. My whole family is like this, and I don’t know why, but that’s just how I am. Please don’t be scared.”

“I…I’m not sure I am,” Chel admitted. “Shocked, and a little taken aback, absolutely, but if you’d wanted to hurt me you’d have done it by now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Tom said desperately. “Please, please believe that.” Chel nodded slowly. 

“I think I do.”

~~~~~~!~~~~~~

Tom called Chel for the hundredth time. He was getting a little worried. He paced inside his little apartment, wondering why she wasn’t picking up—and hadn’t been picking up for two solid days. Since they’d started their long-distance relationship, they had hardly spent a day without some kind of contact, even just a text. Funny how, despite the distance between their schools, they had grown so incredibly close. 

But now Chel wasn’t answering, and Tom didn’t know if that was because she was just busy, or she was angry at him, or something worse. Tom wished his roommate was there; Chris was Australian, and almost stereotypically laid back. Whenever Tom got worked up, Chris was always there to help him calm down. Except Chris had gone to see his family over Christmas break, leaving Tom alone until his own family visited in a few days. Tom knew Chris would tell him to sit down, take a break, eat something, but Tom didn’t have the willpower to make himself do that. He was so worried. 

Tom heard the message machine kick on and cursed, ending the call. He had already left Chel a message (well, two of them, actually) but he didn’t want to annoy her by leaving several. He probably shouldn’t have called her that much, anyway. Maybe it was ticking her off. Maybe she just wanted to be left alone for a while. Tom chewed on his thumbnail, wondering what he did to make her angry. Their last conversation had been perfect in its normalcy—he couldn’t think of anything he had said that would have set her off. Honestly, she’d never really gotten angry at him. Oh, she could be a royal bitch when someone did make her angry, but she didn’t get mean over just anything. She was so level-headed that really the only thing she couldn’t stand was someone being unfair to someone else; it was the only thing he’d ever heard her chew someone out about, and that guy had really deserved it. 

Tom sighed, jittery. He was probably making a big deal out of nothing, he reasoned. He needed to calm down—and stop calling Chel, who was probably annoyed by now. If there was anything that would help him chill out, he knew it would be to run a nice cool bath and sit in it. He’d always found shifting forms to be soothing, somehow, like by shedding one skin for another he could also shed his worries. He wouldn’t even take his phone in with him. He could give it a rest. 

A few minutes later he had shucked all his clothes, gratefully stepping into the nice big tub. It was one of those tubs for older people, the walk-in ones that had a seat on either side and a watertight door. It had been one of the major reasons he had gotten this apartment. He couldn’t really take a shower with his, uh, condition, so a bathtub big enough to hold his tail comfortably was a must. Chris, bless the guy, was really cool about that and had agreed to it, even though the apartment cost a little more than others that were comparable but didn’t have the tub. Chris knew about Tom’s tail and, just like with everything else, wasn’t really bothered by it. 

As the tub began to fill with nearly-cold water (since Tom’s tail was more sensitive to temperature and really didn’t like heat) Tom slowly began the change. It was different than jumping into a pool and submerging himself immediately, but even though the change wasn’t as fast it felt much the same. The tub filled pretty quickly, and Tom let himself relax. 

He had to admit, he was a little vain about his tail. He really liked the way it looked, and he almost wished that Chel had gotten more than a glance. She never had, really, since she’d only ever seen him like this the once, and Tom was almost scared to show it to her now. He waved it around in the water a bit, appreciating the way his fins fluttered with the movement. They faded from blue to a deep purple at the ends, and he just couldn’t help but love them. His sisters’ tails were very different, and beautiful in their own rights, but out of them Tom had always preferred his tail. 

He turned off the taps and let himself slip down further in the seat. Without a real rear end, the seats weren’t that useful, but sometimes he would let his head dip under the water and use the seat for his elbows. He could hold his breath for something like twenty minutes comfortably, which had scared Chris once when he’d walked in to pee just as Tom resurfaced. Tom chuckled, remembering the way he had startled Chel when they first met too. 

His smile turned back into a frown when he thought again of her silence. He knew there was probably no reason to be so worried; it was finals time, and she was sure to be busy. But he really wished she’d given him a text, at least, just to tell him she was okay. 

He lost track of time, coming up to breathe once or twice but mostly keeping his head underwater. It was calming to him, for some reason. Calming, that was, until he felt a tentative hand brush his tail. 

He shot up out of the water, gasping, his eyes wide open. Oh God, who was it, who had seen him, how did they get in—Chel looked back at him, surprised herself by his sudden movement. Her hand drew quickly out of the water. 

“I’m sorry,” she rushed, “I didn’t mean to startle you, I just—your tail is so—I’m really sorry, I should have asked, that was inappropriate of me. I don’t know the etiquette for this, I guess, so I shouldn’t have—“

“Chel!” Tom said, and Chel immediately fell quiet. She looked unusually flustered, which wasn’t her way at all. She was such a confident woman. “What are you doing here?” Tom finally asked. 

“Do you wish I hadn’t come?” Chel asked, looking up. Her expression tore at Tom’s heart. 

“No! I mean, of course I’m glad you came, I just—I wasn’t expecting you. I would have cleaned. And been…” He wasn’t sure what to say. He’d have been what? Human? He already was human. “Anyway, it’s alright. I’m glad to see you. You look beautiful.” 

Chel blushed a little, shaking her head. “Don’t shake your head, you are. I’ve seen you on a screen for so long, it’s like its own slice of heaven to see you in real life. Did you come here just to surprise me?” 

“Yes,” Chel admitted. “It’s been so long since we were in the same place, and it’s only a few hour’s drive home from here. I figured I’d come spend a few days with you. I booked the hotel a while ago.”

“You could stay here,” Tom suggested. “Not to say you have to, or anything, but you know you’re always welcome. Chris has gone home already.” Chel smiled. 

“And what would Chris say if he knew I was staying in his bed, hm?” she jested. 

“He’d probably just laugh,” Tom said.  _ That and ask us not to get bodily fluids on his sheets. _ Tom flushed a little at his train of thought. They had gotten intimate during fall break, when they had managed to visit each other (and Tom had been wanking off to the thought of it ever since) but Tom didn’t want to make assumptions that she would want to do it again. Even if he really, really hoped she did. 

“Yeah, he seems pretty chill.” Chris and Chel had ‘met’ each other over Skype once or twice (by which Tom meant that Chris had walked in on their Skype call and had barged right into the conversation) and they got along just fine. 

“He’ll probably be jealous that you came and he didn’t get to meet you,” Tom said.

“Oh, please,” Chel said, rolling her eyes. “If anything, he’ll be bothering you for details all semester.” It was Tom’s turn to laugh. 

“For someone who's never met him, you seem to know him pretty well,” Tom ribbed. “You shouldn't be so easy to trust guys you haven't met face to face --he could be a serial killer for all you know.”

“And what would that make you?” Chel asked. “Trusty sidekick or apathetic roommate who pretends not to know what's going on so you don't have to deal with police?”

“You wound me,” Tom said, placing a hand over his heart. “Really, though, I'm glad you're here. Thank you for coming.” Chel flushed just a little--that sweet rose pink that she only turned when pleased--and smiled, looking down at her lap. 

“I wouldn't miss it,” she said. Tom grinned. 

“I suppose that's why I couldn't get a hold of you, then?” he asked. “I was starting to freak out a little.”

“Oh, sorry!” Chel said, grabbing her purse off the ground next to her. She dug around in it and pulled out her phone, seeing the several missed calls that Tom now felt stupid for placing. “I forgot to turn my phone off of airplane mode. How many messages did you leave?”

“Just two!” Tom said. “And a couple texts.”

“What got you so worried?” Chel asked, flicking through her phone to see if anyone else had tried to reach her. 

“I'm not sure,” Tom admitted. “My mind just kind of started thinking of all the worst things that could have happened.”

“Like what?” Chel asked, her gorgeous eyes looking into him. They looked so much deeper in person. 

“I--I don't know,” Tom said, blushing. He fidgeted. “At first I thought maybe you were mad at me or something, or maybe you wanted to break up, but then I started worrying that maybe you were hurt or...I don't know. I was being stupid.”

Chel smiled at him, putting her hand over his on the lip of the bathtub. Her hands were so much smaller than his--dainty but strong. “I have no intention of leaving,” Chel said. There was something so honest, so sincere, in her tone, and Tom almost wanted to cry. He thought maybe he'd fallen in love with this woman. 

“So, how did you get in?” Tom asked, trying to change the subject and therefore save face. He'd look like a tit if he started tearing up now. 

“Through the door,” Chel said with a cheeky smile. Tom scoffed. 

“No, really? And here I thought you just walked through walls.”

“Well, I do aim to thoroughly disappoint,” Chel said. “So this is your tail? I've never gotten a good look at it.” Tom blushed. 

“Yeah,” he said, waving it around a little so she could see how his fins moved with the current. Okay, so maybe he was a little vain. “Um, is it--do you think it's weird?”

“Yeah,” Chel shrugged. “But then again, so are you. And I like you well enough anyway. Honestly, Tom, it's...it’s beautiful. Or handsome? Sorry, handsome.” Tom smiled, his face heating up. 

“You can call it whatever you want,” he said. Chel chuckled. 

“So if I named it Susan?” Tom gasped in mock offense.

“Excuse you! Everyone knows that tails do not conform to traditional gender roles. At least give it a unisex name,” he said. “Like Alix, or Avery, or something.”

“Well excuuuuse me,” Chel drawled, rolling her eyes skywards. “Here, let me fix it. I hereby bequeath unto this most glorious and colorful tail the name of Sam, which shall henceforth be the name that this most beautiful tail shall be known by within this establishment, should the tail accept such a gift. I do beg pardon that I have not brought with me gold and myrrh, but alas I am a poor student and can offer no other honors.” 

By the time she was done Tom was trying to hold back laughter. He could feel the relief in his bones--Chel was here, with him, and everything was good. He hadn't realized just how worried he'd been that she would really leave for good. 

So, in keeping with human tradition, he pulled her into a kiss. 

They both smiled into it, lips caressing, and Tom just about melted. He had really, really missed kissing her. He'd only done it a handful of times, it seemed, since they were always so far apart--but it didn't matter right then. He just wanted to re-memorize every curve of her full lips against his. 

Of course, as often happens when two lovers have been apart for a while, the kiss started turning a little more hungry. Chel wove her fingers into Tom’s wet curls, pulling him closer, and Tom pressed up against the side of the tub. Neither one of them realized the inevitable splashing until Tom shifted just a little too much, his ripples throwing water over the tub and onto Chel’s sweater. 

Chel yelped in surprise, jerking back, but quickly devolved into giggles. “Oh, shit,” Tom laughed, “I'm sorry. Are you okay?”

“Tom, it's just water, I'm fine,” Chel said, inspecting her clothes. Most of the water had sloshed onto her sweater, but some had made its way to her lap. She grinned wickedly. “Well, I guess now I have a good excuse,” she said. 

Tom would have asked what for, but then Chel started taking off her clothes and, well, Tom forgot what words were. 

Thing was, Chel was every different kind of beautiful Tom could think of. And watching her remove her own clothing right in front of him was...more erotic than he was prepared for at that particular moment. His mouth went dry as he traced every inch of exposed skin, Chel’s sweater, shirt, and pants all hitting the ground. Chel caught his eye with a devious smirk, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra, and if he tried hard enough Tom figured he could probably come thinking about that devilish glint in her eye. 

Then her breasts jiggled free of their confines and Tom was definitely on his way to a woody. He gulped thickly as Chel giggled, “Everything alright over there, Tom?” 

“I--uh, yeah,” Tom stuttered, trying to look at her eyes and not her underwear as they slid down her sumptuous thighs. He didn’t want to be indecent, but… He couldn’t help but remember the sight of her laying bare on her bed, the way she had right before they’d--

Tom had to stop that thought right there. It didn’t do him much good, though, because the next thing he knew Chel--a very naked, very beautiful Chel--was clambering over the lip of the tub. Since the tub was tall, about waist height for her, and since Tom knew how terrible her balance could be, he reached out to help her over. He tried very, very hard to ignore how soft and smooth and warm her skin was. 

“Holy shit!” Chel yelped as she entered the water. “It’s freezing! Christ, Tom, what are you, part abominable snowman?”

“Sorry,” Tom said, tearing his eyes from her heavy chest. Her nipples were hardening  from the temperature of the water and he just wanted to latch his lips onto one and suckle like his life depended on it. 

“It’s not your fault,” Chel said, scooting close against him for warmth. He curled his arms around her, loving the feel of her body on his. “Is your...I mean, is hot water uncomfortable for you?”

“Yeah,” Tom said. “It’s the tail, it’s...a little ornery about temperature.”

“Good to know,” she said. “At least your skin is warm. So...could I--is it okay if I touch? Your tail, I mean?”

“I--yeah,” Tom breathed. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Chel turned her eyes to Tom’s tail, finally able to see it in all its unusual glory. She seemed transfixed. 

“So, like, the oil in my hands won’t hurt it or anything?” she asked. 

“No, it’s fine,” Tom said. “You can touch it. I...I want you to.” Chel grinned up at him.

“Oh?” she teased. “And is there anything else you’d like me to touch?” Tom flushed up to the roots of his hair. 

“Chel!” he gasped. Chel laughed. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Chel said, sounding not the least bit sorry. One of her delicate hands strayed down and gently stroked Tom’s fin, marvelling at the rubbery texture. “So, I have to admit, I’m curious about...genitalia, in this form. I know you have fully functioning bits on dry land--” she smirked at Tom’s indignant cry, “--but I have to admit my curiosity. You don’t have to answer, but… I’d kind of like to know.”

Tom gulped. “I--well, I...do have… ‘bits,’ as you so lovingly called them.” Chel giggled, and Tom rolled his eyes. He had never really anticipated having this conversation. He probably should have figured someone would ask eventually. But this was Chel--she hadn’t run yet, and Tom was starting to think she really wouldn’t. “I mean, it looks different from...the rest of the time,” Tom said haltingly. “But it probably works about the same. I’ve never, well…” he trailed off with an anxious laugh. Chel looked up at him questioningly. 

“So you’ve never, I don’t know, played with yourself? When you’re like this?” she asked. Tom sputtered. Oh, Chel, he thought, always unashamed to talk about bodies. God, she was amazing. Awkward, but amazing. 

“Well, I have,” he said. Of course he had. Teenagers are curious creatures, after all. 

“And does it feel different?” Chel asked. 

“Well, yeah,” Tom said, flushing. “I mean, there’s no...foreskin, and it’s kind of slimy, but the feeling isn’t too different, really. At least not for me.”

“So...where is it?” Chel asked, looking pointedly down at the smooth, unblemished length of Tom’s tail. Tom didn’t think he could blush any brighter--not without his head spontaneously combusting. He was sure his whole neck was pink. 

“It, uh,” Tom fumbled, “it’s hidden until...I get hard. Here, right here.” He guided Chel’s hand down a little further, showing her the spot where his ‘bits’ would protrude. It was a little further down than where the crotch area would be when he had legs, and instead of any kind of hole it was like a thin but durable film, which would part to let his cock through. “Just be gentle,” he said. “It’s sensitive.”

“I will be,” Chel said, letting her little fingers search the area carefully. Tom shuddered just a little, and Chel squeezed her body tighter to him. He could feel the soft globes of her breasts where they pushed against his side. Tom felt a little of his earlier arousal coming back--it seemed not even the awkwardness of their conversation topic could fully push it away. There was something about having Chel in his arms, touching him with open rapture and fascination and not a hint of disgust, that made him want to cherish her in every way possible. And honestly, it would be really really nice if ‘every way’ included some physical exercise. 

“Is it--I mean, does it interest you?” Tom asked. “The idea of me in...this form?” Chel looked up at him with big, honest eyes. 

“Yeah,” she said. “It does.” Tom licked his lips--something he often did that Chel always teased him for, having gifted him several different kinds of chapstick by this point--trying to gauge how serious she was. Her hand took to stroking his side, up his tail to his ribs and back down, and he shivered pleasantly. 

“Are you sure?” he asked finally. “It’s different.”

“I won’t run,” Chel said. Somehow she always knew exactly what he was worried about, sometimes before he did. Tom had to blink, her stare was becoming too much. 

“Okay,” he said. “But you know, if it’s not what you expect, you don’t have to...to do anything. I promise, I would never ask you to.” Chel smiled. 

“That’s why I want to do it,” she said simply. “So, how do I…?”

“J-just,” Tom said, “just do what you would normally do when a guy’s not quite hard yet. My upper body’s just the same, and there are some sensitive spots on my tail too.”

“Like where?” Chel asked, clearly interested. 

“Um, like where my tail meets my fins,” he said. “Lots of nerve endings there. But be careful with the fins themselves, they’re not as fragile as they look but it can hurt pretty bad to bang them up. And, uh, about here,” he said, putting his hand down a little further on the underside. “The whole length of my spine is pretty good to touch, all the way down.” Chel looked at him with rapt interest, and Tom found himself wanting her to look at him like that always.

“Can I feel your spine?” she asked. “Like how I can if I run my hand down your back?”

“Not quite,” Tom said. “There’s a protective layer of fat under the skin of my tail, so you really can’t feel my vertebrae.” Chel nodded and turned her attention southward, letting her hands drift down Tom’s tail with soft feather touches. 

“Tell me if I do anything wrong?” she asked, not looking at him. 

“I--yeah, I will,” Tom said. “Just explore.” Chel nodded again, pulling out of Tom’s arms and smoothing through the water towards the other end of the tub--and towards where Tom’s fins waved. 

Tom watched her with wide eyes as she rubbed her hands over every inch of his tail, paying attention to the smallest details. There was a little scar on the left side from where he’d scraped his tail too roughly against some rocks when he was a kid--he’d had to tell everyone the gash on his shin was from rugby--and there was a dark spot growing where he’d unwittingly banged his tail into the side of the bathtub when she’d startled him. She was sweetly gentle when she moved over those spots, and Tom wondered for a crazy second if her touch could actually infuse his hurt places with healing. 

She was methodical in her discovery, not leaving an inch untouched. She even ghosted her hands along his fins, barely touching but seeming fascinated with the way they moved when she did. The more she looked, the more she touched, the more Tom felt a slow burn starting under his skin. He’d never shown anyone this form with erotic intent, and he’d never really considered that someone could find it sensual. Maybe that was why Chel’s interest was so intoxicating. 

Once her thorough once-over had satisfied her curiosity, Chel started turning her attention to the places Tom had mentioned. Having her slim fingers, almost hot in comparison to the cool water, caressing over the roots of his fins sent Tom into fits of little gasps. His tail trembled as Chel worked over his lower body, and Tom could feel himself beginning to harden. 

Chel didn’t notice at first, but when she saw the strange pink head peeking out from behind its protective casing she gasped. Her eyes went wide, and for a split second Tom was terrified that she would be frightened now that she’d seen it. He didn’t know what he’d do if she walked away right then. But instead of running, Chel put hesitant hands on the tapered tip. A groan wrenched out of Tom’s throat. It had been a while since he’d touched himself like this, and he had forgotten how different it felt. 

“Good?” Chel asked, worried eyes on him. He nodded quickly. 

“Y-yeah,” Tom said, swallowing thickly. “Your hands are...so warm.” Chel, seeming bolstered by his enjoyment, started stroking along the head gently, watching as it unfurled further. 

Tom knew it looked a little...bizarre. It didn’t have the folds that it normally would, smooth and only a little more than two fingers in width at the top. But as more and more of it appeared, coaxed out of hiding by Chel’s perfect hands, it was clear that it was not thin at all. Tom wasn’t boasting when he said that his cock was of an unusual size, but in this form it got even thicker at the base. It was bright pink, and covered in a layer of slick that wouldn’t wash off in water. Chel seemed transfixed by it, and Tom was transfixed by the way her breasts pressed against his tail when she leaned down to get a closer look. 

“I..is it…” Tom started, not sure what he was asking. He just needed to hear Chel say it wasn’t gross or frightening, he just needed to know she was really okay with this. She gave him one better. 

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed, sounding awed. “No, really, Tom. I like you just fine with legs too, but there’s something so fascinating about thinking of this…” She bit her lip. 

“Thinking about it what?” Tom asked breathlessly. His cock twitched under her hand as she continued to move her hand up and down it, taking in its texture. 

“Thinking about it in me,” Chel said quietly, like the words were taboo and just between the two of them. Tom moaned. 

“Up,” he said, holding his arms out. “Come up here, love. Let me warm you up.” 

Chel shot into his arms, delving in for a deep kiss. Her arm couldn’t reach the base of his cock from this angle, since it was further from his navel than it would be on land, but she still kept her hand on what she could reach as Tom kissed her with all the vigour he had. She tasted like strawberries and her mouth was so hot. Tom shuddered, remembering having that mouth on him once. But he didn’t want that right now--they both wanted something more than that, and Tom was more than willing to deliver. 

Tom was pretty proud of his fingering technique, and even with the awkward angle of his wrist he did his best to bring Chel to wetness. She was searingly hot when he touched her center, her folds already starting to plump up from arousal. She groaned into his mouth as he paid her body as much loving attention as she had paid his. 

“Mm, you’re already worked up a bit, aren’t you love?” he asked, his voice deeper than he remembered it. Chel shuddered. She had told him that she loved his voice, and that she wanted him to use it more in the bedroom, but since they’d been so far away he hadn’t had the opportunity. He wanted to right that wrong immediately. “Is that all for me?” he asked her smoothly. “All this heat? Just from touching me? You’re so very wet, love.”

“How does it feel?” Chel gasped. Tom shuddered, loving the way she egged him on. She wasn’t kidding when she said she wanted him to talk, and he could feel the mood change. He had told her the sweet things, the loving things, and he could feel that they both wanted something a little less vanilla. 

“Marvellous, darling, you’re utterly marvelous. This tight little cunt…” Chel whined when the word fell out of his lips. It made him more daring. “Oh, but that’s what it is, isn’t it? Your tight little cunt. I can feel you squeezing my fingers already, begging for my cock.”

“Oh, _ God  _ Tom,” Chel panted. Tom kissed at the column of her neck.

“This is what you want?” he asked. “For me to talk to you like this?”

“Yes,” Chel said, one hand clutching at his shoulder. Tom moaned against her skin. 

“Tell me why,” he demanded. 

“Because--” Chel said, “because I like the way you get just a little more commanding, the way you start to take over. I like the way your voice deepens and gets raspy, and I like…”

“What do you like?” Tom asked, hanging on her words and aware now that his voice had, in fact, dropped lower. 

“I like the way those dirty words roll off your tongue,” Chel said. “You sound so...so  _ hot _ when you say things like this. It makes my pussy throb.”

“Mm, and I can feel it throbbing,” he said, gently taking Chel’s earlobe in his teeth. It wasn’t a bite so much as a scrape--he didn’t want to hurt her. They could talk about marks and things later, when they weren’t so high on the moment. “I can feel your cunt pulsating around my fingers, pulling me in. It’s like your pussy is begging me. What is it begging me for, Chel? What do you need?”

“Your cock,” Chel groaned, grasping his erection harder as if she needed to remind him it was there. “I want your cock.”

“Want?” Tom said, clucking his tongue. “Oh, darling, I’m afraid that’s just not enough.” Chel whined, and now Tom really could feel the way her inner walls clenched down. She was loving this. 

“I need it!” she cried. “I need your cock in me, I need it to fill my little pussy, please Tom!” Tom shuddered. 

“Yeah?” he teased breathlessly. “You want me to fill you up? It’s been so long since you’ve felt me stretch you out, love. You want to feel me open you up again?”

“Please,” Chel whimpered, head thrown back. “Please. My toys aren’t big enough anymore, not since I had you. Please, Tom.”

Tom growled, ripping his fingers out of Chel’s womanhood. Chel yelped at the sudden emptiness. “Sit on it,” he ordered darkly. “Sit on my cock and show me how much you need it.” 

The movement was instantaneous. Chel was suddenly straddling his tail, guiding his cock towards her lower lips, and Tom got a sudden burst of nerves. What if she didn’t like it? What if she wanted to stop?  It would be different--But then Chel was lowering herself down, quick, so quickly, and he hissed as every thought in his head went flying away. 

“Oh, fuck!” he choked. She felt hotter like this, almost unbearable, the natural slick he had in this form instantly heating. Chel groaned, slowing her descent as she reached the last few inches, which widened beyond what Tom had in his land form. She was slack-jawed as she sunk down slowly, flushed and so debauchedly beautiful, and Tom didn’t realize he was speaking until he was. “That’s it, take me deeper,” he heard himself say, his half-lidded eyes fixed on where he disappeared into her. “You can take me. That’s it.” 

That was so unlike him; he always said ‘take your time’ and ‘don’t hurt yourself,’ but in the heat of the moment it just seemed right to say what he did. And Chel seemed to appreciate it, breathing out a sweet moan. 

“Fuck, baby, you’re just so big,” she said, also watching herself swallow him. “God, I’m never gonna be the same.”

“Yeah?” Tom asked. “Your pussy’s never gonna be satisfied with anything else now, is it?”

“No,” Chel whimpered, “no Tom. Oh fuck.” 

Finally, Chel’s ass was flushed with Tom’s tail, and they both moaned. Tom was dizzy with arousal, his hands grasping Chel’s waist. She’d really taken it--all of it. For a moment they just sat there and panted, heads spinning. Tom was in a state of euphoric disbelief until Chel moved. 

_ “Ohhh…” _ Tom groaned, watching transfixed as Chel started to gyrate her hips: up, down, back, forth, making both of them shudder as they watched his cock spear her open. She took her time experimenting with her movements, adjusting to his size and shape, but that didn’t mean that either of them was displeased. 

“Mm, baby, tell me what it feels like,” Tom said, finally looking from where their bodies were joined to Chel’s flushed and beautiful face. With her wrapped so tightly around him, he could absolutely feel the way her muscles contracted when he spoke to her like this. “Tell me how much you like my cock.”

“So much,” Chel gasped, starting to bounce a little faster. Tom grit his teeth together, his hands squeezing Chel’s hips. “Shit, Tom, your cock is so beautiful. Do you--ah! Do you remember the time I...I got down on my knees and sucked it? Took it into my mouth and sucked it?” Tom groaned. “Oh, God, I--I remember it. I still get off to the thought of your thick, hot cock on my tongue. I love your taste. I--mmm, yes! Right there!”

“Keep going,” Tom panted, teeth gritted. “Tell me what you think about when you remember swallowing my cock.” Chel whined and picked up the pace. Water was spilling over the lip of the tub with each push, but neither of them noticed. 

“I--I think about the heat of it,” Chel gasped. “How hot it was on my tongue. And the taste--bitter and salty and so entirely  _ male. _ And your face when I swallowed you back, the way you moaned…”

“Yeah?” Tom asked, curling his tail enough to press it against the bottom for leverage and starting to thrust up. Chel’s mouth dropped open. “Did it make you feel powerful, to have me so pliant for you? Did it make you feel strong?”

“It made me feel sexy,” Chel said as they found a rhythm. “With your eyes on me like that--like this--I feel so fucking hot.”

“Mm, now you know how I see you, then,” Tom said. “ You're a fucking  _ goddess _ , and I’m going to worship you like one. With my cock, like this, and my fingers and my mouth--you know I’ve thought so much about returning the favor, you did so well for me…”

Chel stuttered on a whine, clenching hard, and Tom grunted. God, it was almost too tight. He let one hand slide down Chel’s front, two long, mad-skilled fingers taking up their rightful place on her clit. He knew that was her most sensitive spot, and he was loathe to ignore it. Chel keened as he rubbed her in little circles, bucking her hips erratically. Oh, Tom was close, close already, and he could already see that Chel was too. She had that slackness in her jaw that he’d realized last time was a sign of her impending orgasm. Did this form really turn her on so much that she was so close already?

“Tell me again,” Chel panted. “Tell me again how good I am.”

And Tom got it. She wasn’t asking him to stroke her ego--she really, truly needed to know he was pleased with her. Was she a sub? Tom shuddered--he’d never forayed into that particular kind of kinky, though he’d always wanted to. But they could talk about that later. The coil in his belly was starting to fog his brain. 

“Ugh, you’re--you’re so good, darling, so very good for me,” Tom panted, earning a high moan. “You’re so eager, so ready, so sweet and tight around my cock. I missed your cunt, Chel, I missed the way you tremble for me. You made me cum so hard, that night, Chel, and I’m gonna cum so hard this time too--ah, fuck! Yes, sway your hips like that. Oh, darling, you know just what to do to me. Thinking of you always gets me off, imagining all the things I could do to you, all the ways I could wrench orgasm after orgasm out of you--”

His voice was choked off when Chel contracted almost too hard, making him grimace in utter, torturous pleasure. He sped up his fingers, needing to see her fall over that precipice before he gave in himself. He wished he’d known the first time how hot dirty talk got her. “Do you like that idea?” he forced out. “You like the idea of me bringing you to that height again and again and again, until you’re a screaming, moaning mess for me, before I finally give you my cock? Oh, God, Chel, do it. Do it right now. Let me feel your pussy clench around my cock as you come from riding me. God, what a good girl you are--”

Then it happened. Chel came, harder than he’d seen her come before, eyes rolling into her head as her every muscle locked up. Her mouth was open, like she wanted to moan, or shout, but all Tom heard was a shuddering exhale. His own orgasm rushed up on him, and he barely noticed it in time, as absorbed as he was in watching Chel like this. He managed to heave her up and off of him in time, lifting her out of the water in a sudden burst and setting her on the edge of the tub by the wall and  _ eating _ her. She squealed, hands clenching in his hair as his tongue drew out her orgasm, forcing it to last longer, and he groaned as he fisted himself to completion under the water. 

He was panting and boneless when it ended, and Chel was worse. She hardly seemed to be able to hold herself up, and Tom had to press his chest to her stomach to keep her from slipping into the soiled water. He didn’t know if she could get pregnant from his cum in this form, or if it was possible for that to happen from sperm in the water, but he didn’t want to test it. If he’d been a little more prepared he would have had condoms, he thought, then internally scoffed at himself. Right, they totally made condoms for merman cocks. He nuzzled against Chel’s soft belly, lax and content, as she slowly came around. 

The first sound she made was a kind of whimper, her whole body shaking. “Shh, love, I’m here, I’m here,” he said, reaching for a towel and wrapping it around her. She was still pretty limp and he was starting to worry. “It’s alright, Chel, come back to me darling.” And she did. Slowly, but she did. She sluggishly tried to sit up more, Tom supporting her so she didn’t fall back into the water. Thank God for the wall behind her, or she’d have fallen backwards. He watched her blink her eyes, legs still half enveloped in the cold water, as if coming out of some kind of trance. 

“There you are, love, that’s it,” Tom smiled, rubbing her side. She smiled back, tired but happy looking, and Tom breathed a sigh of relief. “Are you alright, darling? Are you good?” 

“Yeah,” Chel said, swallowing thickly. “Sorry, I should have warned you, but that doesn’t usually happen unless…”

“Unless it’s more hardcore?” Tom asked, and Chel flushed a little.

“Well, yeah,” she said. She looked only the tiniest bit embarrassed. “I didn’t want to jump into that conversation too fast, but I probably should have said something by now.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Tom said, giving her a megawatt smile. God, she was beautiful. “We can talk about that tomorrow, over a full English breakfast, yeah?” Chel chuckled.

“You’re the best damn cook, Tom,” she said, yawning. “Sorry, I get tired after slipping into subspace. Can I get down?”

“Of course, love,” Tom said, moving away slightly. “Just try to stay out of the water. I uh, made a bit of a mess.” Chel giggled, and Tom grinned. 

When Chel was out of the tub Tom told her she was free to take a nap in his bed, and she smiled at him sleepily before shuffling out. He drained the water, slowly merging back into his land form, thinking that he should probably take another bath in less dirty water but knowing he wasn’t going to. He was clean enough, and all he wanted was to curl up next to Chel under the covers. So he did, as soon as he could, and felt his heart thump when she leaned against him in her sleep. She was perfect. 

And he thought, just before letting himself slip into dreamland, that maybe he’d found the one. 


End file.
